Graciella Evelina Martinez was born a free bird. As a child acting was not on her mind. She began her dancing career at the age of 4 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she was born as Tomiko Ly-Martinez. Although her mother Carmen Rita Martinez was born in Puerto Rico and her father Juan Ly is Cuban-Chinese. Her Japanese name came from a soap-opera title at the time in Puerto Rico. Graciella lived in Puerto Rico until the age of 8. From one day to the next her family moved to Miami, Florida where she began to learn English. She continued dancing and shortly was introduced to her father's sport. Table Tennis. Juan and her uncle Jose Ly where Table Tennis champions in Puerto Rico and Graciella shortly followed under her father and uncle's steps. She played competitively for the U.S national Team. While training for the Olympics at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. After her Table Tennis years, Graciella moved away for college to major in Child Psychology at Iowa State University. As her mom she got a degree in nursing and once again flapped her wings and moved to New York. One day she was flipping through the yellow pages and she came across an acting school not in New York. She drove 3 hours to Hartford, CT. Where she remembers the teacher saying "eventually you'll want to be in Los Angeles." So, once again she packed her bags and moved to LA, where she got a job as an Assistant Interior Designer. It was then that Graciella was finally pushed to give acting a try by her own boss. Shortly after, she quit and began her career as an actor. Appearing on ER, House, CSI, Dexter and other great shows. Graciella considers herself extremely fortunate her travels and competition days through her dancing, or Table Tennis have given her the tools to keep achieving anything she puts her mind too. That once little 8 year old Spanish girl that did not speak English, is now fluent in French and Portuguese and has incorporated her languages not only into her acting but also into her writing. Graciella Evelina Martinez will always have a part of being a free bird, flapping her wings away. Show less «